By Nathan Duke
Manhattan graffiti artist “KIKO” was arraigned Thursday on 30 counts of vandalism after allegedly vandalizing public and private property in Long Island City and Astoria, the Queens district attorney said.
Oliver Siandre, 27, a jewelry model maker and alleged graffiti tagger also known as “KIKO,” was arraigned in Queens Supreme Court on a 30-count indictment and ordered held on $25,000 bail, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. If convicted, Siandre faces up to seven years in prison.
“We cannot allow one individual to mar the beauty of our city and threaten to return us to the days when our transit system and our highways were covered with graffiti,” Brown said.
Brown said Siandre's alleged graffiti work in Queens caused more than $5,750 in damages to public and private property. He said Siandre allegedly spray-painted a number of sites in the borough, including a Metropolitan Transit Authority overpass, a section of Athens Square Park and a wall at St. Demetrios Greek American School, all in Astoria.
Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria), a longtime opponent of graffiti in the borough, said Siandre's high bail reflected the seriousness of the charges.
“I hope he has as much fun eating baloney sandwiches at Rikers as he did attempting to destroy our community,” he said.
Reach reporter Nathan Duke by email at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
